I consume all of Pop Culture. I watch unhealthy amounts of TV and Movies. So, Internet, I'm about to unload it on you. Follow Me on Twitter @WebofSpiderDan and on Facebook.com/WebOfSpiderDan.

Saturday, August 24, 2013

In Defense of Ben: An Extensive Look at the Life and Work of Ben Affleck

Ladies and Gentlemen,

This is a no bullshit post. My first no bullshit post. I am all business.

Though, I promise this will be informative AND entertaining, so long as you read and watch all the videos. This is a long one. Like reallllllly long. It's an extensive look into the life and portfolio of Ben Affleck. There is a lot of information, videos, quotes and thoughts in here. If you choose to watch all the videos, which you should, because they are, for the most part, crucial supporting evidence for my Defense, (Video's marked as 'Exhibits' support my argument. All other videos are for entertainment purposes - in an attempt to keep your interest) you're looking at being here for well over an hour. Seriously. But that's the purpose of this blog right? A place on the web where you can pass the time, when you're bored at work or in general, right? So curb your ADD and read it all (Or keep coming back to read this in pieces) if you really want to know why I believe in this decision. I'm letting you all in on my pop-culture obsessed mind. It's what backs up my instinct on this decision; based on what I've seen, and what I know from his work and life. By the end of this, whether you agree with me or not, all I hope to achieve is for you to, at least, try to be optimistic.

Let me begin by saying that my original title on Facebook was, "Why Ben Affleck Will Make a Great Batman". I was a little caught up in all the excitement. "Great", may have been an overstatement. I am not saying he won't be great, but, will he go and wipe the floors with Keaton and Bale? This is still left to be determined, as you can't fully judge something until you've seen it. Do I think he's right for the job? I never really pictured it before, so, maybe, if the powers at be think so. Could others have played the role better? Probably, but can't you really say that about any actor, in any role, ever?

I guess my question comes down to this:

Do I believe in him?

Yes.

What a magnificent beard.

That being said, I present for your consideration,

In Defense of Ben: An Extensive Look at the Life and Work of Ben Affleck

This is not an, "I'm better than you post," for having the "dissenting" opinion. Most of the time, it's quite the opposite, as I usually always agree with mainstream attitudes. I am not a cynic, I am not a cynical person, and I most definitely am not a cynical critic, as you will learn. I am an optimist by nature, and by definition. This is a Defense. A Defense for Ben. A Defense for Batman. A Defense for the DC Cinematic Universe, Zack Snyder, Warner Brothers and everyone involved in the making of this decision. This is a Complaint. This is a Complaint against negativity and pessimism. This is a Complaint against trolling. This is a Complaint against what's wrong with our society today.

For those of you that are unaware of the news revealed late thursday night, August, 22, 2013, Ben Affleck has been cast as Batman in the upcoming sequel to, 'Man of Steel', presumably titled, 'Batman Vs. Superman', coming Summer 2015. As one who regularly checks casting news as if it were porn, I heard no rumblings of this. The rumors were that they were casting an older male lead for the role. Ben Affleck is 41. I guess that's the age they were going for, but Ben looks much younger than that. Not really the "older Batman" type that I expected when that was announced. I imagined it'd be someone like Jon Hamm (Don Draper in 'Mad Men') or Michael Fassbender (Magneto in 'X-Men: First Class') the two frontrunners for the role, on the internet. So, clearly, I was shocked with the news about Affleck. However, I immediately reacted positively, almost instinctively. Ben Affleck is one of my favorite working men in Hollywood. He's more than the real deal. The more I thought about this, the more I believed in it. And now, after writing this, I'm more excited than ever.

Nerds of the Internet,
You were all just praising him 6 months ago about 'Argo' and how he deserved the Oscar nomination, and win for Best Director. Now, all of a sudden, he touches fanboy territory again (I'm refferring to 'Daredevil' - I'll get to it) and you're crucifying the guy? Seriously, I just want to hear some kind of argument from one of you board trolls that is not about 'Daredevil', J-Lo or Boston. Please. Anybody? It's all I've seen so far. He's a different person since the low points of his career. It's been a long time since the day's of, 'Daredevil', "Bennifer" and 'Gigli' - the first things to come to mind when hearing this news - I get that. It's time to move past it, overlook it and see what this guy is doing NOW. He is human, and is allowed to have failures, just like the rest of us. He has learned and matured from his mistakes, and he's grown from it. He is now one of the hardest working, most experienced and intellectual men in Hollywood.

When I first wrote this, it was very essay-like; and that's just not
fun, or entertaining at all. Like who wants to read an essay? So, this
Defense will be presented in the form of Ben Affleck's filmography. With tangents and clips to support my argument.

So, let's begin this by going through his entire filmography, film-by-film (theatrical release only) and let's just see if we can't prove that he's going to make a good Batman. He's a talented actor, writer, director and producer; and what follows is the proof. I give you a career full of highlights, a stretch of character defining lows, (he definitely has some major garbage - what actor hasn't?), and as you will see the highs definitely outnumber the lows. I'll let his work and life speak for itself.

(Note, I have seen most of these movies. If I haven't seen them, I will not use them in my Defense, as I can not speak on behalf of it.)

EARLY CAREER AND THE VIEWASKIEWNIVERSE

Let's first talk about his early career, prior to his downfall. A time in which he received great successes, memorable roles and scenes and was a part of some of my favorite movies of all time.

1992 - 'School Ties' - A cast of young up-and-comers featuring: Brendan Fraser, Matt Damon and Chris O'Donnell. Not a bad group to start your career with. However, Foster has become non-existent and Chris O'Donnell is still recovering from his mega-failure as Robin in 'Batman & Robin'. Sorry, Chris, but I don't think you'll be wearing that very "nipple-y" costume next to Ben, this time. More on Damon later.

1992 - 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' Adding this in because he has an Uncredited role as a basketball player. I just watched this like 6 months ago, before I started the 'Buffy' TV series. I saw him in this following scene and was like, "Oh Hey Ben Affleck, um, what are you doing here?

I know this is in Spanish, but, whatever. All he says is, "Here. Take it."

1992 - 'Dazed and Confused' - Show me a person who doesn't like this movie, and I'll show you a liar. Without getting into the greatness of this movie; Affleck is memorable in this role. O'Bannion is the worlds biggest dick. You love to hate him. And Affleck really nails it by making you actually hate him in it, and you still do 20 years later; that's just good acting. I mean, come on, everyone fucking hates O'Bannion.

Exhibit A:

Speaking of Affleck being a major asshole, let's talk about his role in, 'Mallrats' and the entire filmography of the,

VIEWASKIEWNIVERSE: We Know Kevin Smith is On Board

The Viewaskiewniverse is Kevin Smith's production company. In which it has employed Affleck for every film except 'Clerks' and 'Zack and Miri Make a Porno'. He's one of Kevin Smith's closest and best friends. I don't have to tell you that Kevin Smith is one of the Kings of nerdom, that's common knowledge. He is the host of AMC's 'Comic Book Men', is an expert in all things "nerdy", and is widely considered one of the highest ranking authorities on everything comic book related. Kevin Smith also has a personal connection with the Batman character, as he has written a line of Batman comics, among others for DC. I think he's going to be a tremendous asset to Ben as he prepares for this role. If Kevin Smith loves him, why shouldn't we? Look at what he's done with Affleck, in regards to his own movies. Affleck kills it in every one (Sans the God awful trainwreck that was, 'Jersey Girl' - which I'll get to later). He's hilarious in these movies, which really shows his versatility when it comes to acting.

Exhibit B:
Watch this video with Kevin Smith talking about why Ben Affleck is so awesome, prior to the release of 2006's 'Clerks 2', in which Affleck appears briefly in a cameo.

Here are some Kevin Smith/ Affleck highlights:

1995 - 'Mallrats' - A personal favorite of mine, in which, Affleck plays another major asshole, Shannon Hamilton. Again, nailing this role of making you hate him yet again.

Exhibit C
I really hope you are all reading this. This video took me FUCKING FOREVER to find... (NOTE: This scene I am trying to share is NOT the one when you click "play". Click the previous segment. For some reason the coding won't grab that one. So again, click on the previous scene - 42/46)

He stars along side buddy Matt Damon on this one, so, let's just talk about those two for a second.

A STAR IS BORN - MAJOR SUCCESSES OF THE LATE 90'S

1997 - 'Good Will Hunting'- He gets made fun of for this movie (See Video Below), but I think he was very much responsible for the incredible writing in what is another of my all time favorites. Ben and Matt won an Oscar for this when he was 25! Jesus Christ...that's like INSANELY RARE guys. Also, they did 'Project Green Light,' a reality competition show to help aspiring filmmakers, just as they were. So, yea, let's just all hate this fucking asshole, what a real scumbag, right?

Time for a rant.

That's really what everyone is all about right? Hate. Fucking hate. Why? I just don't get it. Why must everyone hate on this decision and on any decision Hollywood has ever made? You ruin it for yourself. Just support it. If you don't like it, that's fine, but don't just hate on it to hate. Look, You're all going to see the movie anyway, its not like you're not going to go because Ben Affleck is Batman. So, why not try to enjoy it? If you go into a movie with the mindset that you're going to hate it, or in this case that you're going to hate Ben, guess what? You're going to hate it. Why don't we try some optimism and just, fucking, support it.

And honestly, I'm not really talking to a mass audience right here, but specifically to trolls. Why do all you Internet nerds out there troll so hard on every major announcement. I HATE IT. Like, why do you have to be SO NEGATIVE about things? Appreciate what we're given. We're given a select few superhero/comic book movies a year. Let's just enjoy them and enjoy the world that we live in, wherein, we can HAVE the chance to see all our favorite characters fleshed out on screen, in an era where movie making is fucking ridiculous in terms of production quality. That is my rant on negativity and pessimism and what is really wrong with society. So, I just really hope that, maybe, by reading this, I can pull some of you over to the light side.

Above referenced scene in 'Family Guy' where he is made fun of for 'Good Will Hunting'

And the best Affleck moments of Good Will Hunting. One of the most memorable movie scenes of all time (Exhibit F) And "Yah Suspect!" (Exhibit G)

Exhibit F:

Exhibit G:

1998 - 'Shakespeare in Love' - Yet another accolade. Starred in an Oscar winning movie and also a SAG award for best ensemble cast.

Exhibit H:

1998 - 'Phantoms' - This is all I have to say about Phantoms.

Exhibit I

Oh and this too.... Exhibit J

A FALL FROM GRACE

1998 - 'Armageddon' Ok, look, Armageddon is Armageddon. It's Michael Bay. It's a Summer blockbuster; a popcorn film, if you will. Ben's in his mid twenties here. He's gaining success in Hollywood, making a name for himself, of course he's gonna' take that
role! Money Talks. Unfortunately, this is where we start our decline.

2000 - 'Boiler Room' - Fucking awesome movie. ANOTHER favorite of mine. Affleck delivers, what anyone in business must know is, one of the greatest speeches ever. (This movie is one of the few successes during his downfall.)

Exhibit K:

2002 - 'Changing Lanes' - N/A

2002 - 'Sum of All Fears' - Though I've never seen this one, he's fucking Jack Ryan. Alec Baldwin and Harrison Ford both played this character in 'Hunt for Red October', 'Patriot Games', and 'Clear and Present Danger'. Chris Pine, will also be taking over this character in the upcoming, self titled, 'Jack Ryan' just
in case anyone wanted to know.

2002 - 'The Third Wheel' - N/A

A LIFE IN SHAMBLES - THANKS J-LO

This is where it all hits rock bottom guys. Things get really bad for Ben here. Lots of failures, lots of personal problems. This is why you all hate him. It is because of the next 4 years.

See. I can joke about it too.

Just so you know I'm not just sucking his dick, let me get into the low point of his career. Which is BAD. You all have a valid point to hate on him for these next few years, but as I will prove, you will see that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Everything that you think of when you think Ben Affleck comes back to these years. This is why most people think he sucks. If we can collectively get over this and look past these next 4 years, you can join me in believing.

Everything he put out during this time sucked. But listen, everyone has bad movies and everyone goes through a learning curve in their early leading roles, struggles with being a celebrity, or has some kind of backwards progression. It's just part of the actors road. The box office bombs, the terrible roles, all of his bad life decisions with J-Lo are all indications of this.

When he started dating J-Lo in 2002, at the beginning of "Bennifer" this is when shit hit the fan for his career. Proof that the WRONG woman can really ruin your fucking life - because that's exactly what happened.This is what makes him a laughing stock. But let's just have some fun with the Ben Affleck sucks years, while we're here.

2003 'Gigli' This is widely accepted as one of the worst movies ever made. And not in the "good bad movie" way. I don't even want to subject you to any of these scenes.

2003'Daredevil' Here we go. All I've heard is 'Daredevil' and Boston arguments. 'Daredevil' sucked. It was a bad movie and Affleck bombed. This was just a poorly made movie, though. Anybody would have been bad in it, because it was just a terrible piece of dog shit. However, it still made $179 Million, and although Affleck is bad in it, at least he's not Nick Cage in 'Ghostrider' bad.

On a side note, if this character was done right in a film version, it would be killer. Daredevil is one of the most interesting, awesome and underrated characters in the Marvel Universe. Beyond happy that the rights to the character reverted back to Marvel. But you guys will probably hate it right? Because the first one was terrible, Right? Such solid logic.

The other argument I keep hearing about Ben is his Boston accent. It seems to be the defense of the world. If I may? Um, Christian Bale is fucking British, and, uh, Henry Cavill is fucking British. Why can't he just change his voice like he does for other movies? Give me something real as to why he can't play this role.

And while I'm on the topic of Boston accent's let's watch this....

Exhibit L:

I'd also like to note that Ben Affleck just became a member of the 'Saturday Night Live' Five Timer's Club. That is a limited club, and a huge deal guys. Again just proof of this guys tremendous resume. (Exhibit L)

And here's a clip from 'Daredevil' that showcases Affleck's ability for a good Batman voice. Check it out. It's actually good. (Exhibit M)

During this time Affleck received the Golden Razzie in 2003 for Worst Actor, for his work in 'Daredevil', 'Gigili' and 'Paycheck'. These are given every year to the worst of the worst in film. Although, well deserved, let me tell you some other notable actors that have also received razzies: Laurence Olivier, Kevin Costner, Bert Reynolds and Bruce Willis...

SOUTH PARK ATTACKS BEN

I just want to note how much Trey and Matt make fun of Ben Affleck and why
this also might be affecting your attitude in regards to this.

2001 - 'Pearl Harbor' I'll let this one speak for itself…

In terms of 'South Park' episodes:

First they did the episode where Ben's parents had asses on their faces.

Then they did this all-time classic:

These guys are paid to spoof everything. Ben Affleck was just an easy, easy target at the time.

But they make up for a lot of the Ben Affleck hate over the years in the most 'South Park' of ways in last years 'Going Native' episode. Here's a clip, but go here (Exhibit N)for the full episode. Go to 18:40-End and you'll see what I mean about making up for the Affleck hate. "Ben Affleck has a lot going for him!, Not everything, but a lot."- Butters. If you can win over Trey and Matt, you can win over anyone.

REDEMPTION ROAD

These are the years we need to focus on guys, the rise to where he is now.

In 2004 "Bennifer" ends and in 2005 he marries Jennifer Garner. He is deeply in love with her and they have 3 kids, 2 girls and a boy. I truly believe she is the reason behind his incredible rise from the dumps to where he is now, as he started to pick up the pieces from his broken life, in regards to all the failures he has had. He's grown up and matured. He realizes how fortunate he is after failing so miserably. He has been given the opportunity to rise from that. And he is proving to make only the smartest career moves since.

2007 - 'Hollywoodland' - This is a pretty great movie, because of Ben Affleck. He's incredible as….SUPERMAN. Not the "real" version, but as George Reeves, the first person to play Superman on Television, who mysteriously died. Was it a murder or a suicide? One of America's greatest unsolved cases. It's a very realistic performance.

Exhibit O:

"The irony is that Affleck's battering at the hands of fame has prepped
him beautifully to play Reeves. He knows this character from the inside:
the surface charm, the hidden vulnerability, the ache of watching a
career become a joke and being helpless to stop it.'"

In this upcoming take on Batman, it's going to be real. The DC Cinematic Universe, as it is, is a 'real world' setting. What is happening in these movies has to be something we can imagine happening in our own lives. The previous Bale films are a testament to that. Granted, they are not part of the same shared universe anymore, 'Man of Steel' followed in its footsteps. Mainly due to the oversight of Christopher Nolan to guide this transition in to the new DC Cinematic Universe, to compete with what Marvel's got going on (More on that later)

This next version of Batman is going to be realistic, but a different version of realistic than Christian Bale was. He will be more of a Michael Keaton type real. Someone that easily could live in our world. I don't expect his physique to be the main attribute like it was with Bale. Bale was all about body, strength and fighting ability. This Affleck version will step away from that type of Batman and bring him back to a more classic version. The detective version. Batman is a detective. The first appearance of Batman ever is "Detective Comics #1". This is probably the direction they will take it in. With Affleck's main attribute likely being his mind. I'm sure he'll be very gadget-y, but I definitely don't expect him to be the fighting type like Bale. Affleck could pull this role off nicely when considering that. (If you're worried that he won't be able to pull off any fighting as Batman, anybody can learn choreography if they train for it.) I think the Affleck and Keaton versions are going to be completely different from each other, however, I do think Affleck will channel some Keaton. Michael Keaton was a very realistic Batman, and I expect the same from Ben.

It all comes down to this folks, Batman is going to beat Superman. That's the way this movie is gonna' go. In order to sustain a balance of power between Superman and Batman in the future 'Justice League' movie is to have Batman "win" somehow. Personally, I think they will team up by the end, but if there is a "winner" in this versus movie, then it has to be Batman. Superman is too powerful, he'd easily beat Batman. If he does, it would be stupid; because then Batman is just gonna be Supes little bitch for the rest of the franchise. Not gonna' work. Batman is going to have to stand on his own. He's going to have to use his mind to "beat" Superman, and he's gonna' win. Supes needs to know that he can be defeated, and Bats needs to lay it out that he is not a force to be reckoned with. Affleck will make a good billionaire playboy turned detective vigilante
in this new world take on Batman. A fresh new take on a realistic
Batman.

Exhibit P:

2007 - 'Smokin Aces' - This wasn't a great movie, but it was fun. Affleck in minor role. Not much to say about it.

2007 - 'Gone Baby Gone'- Here he decides to direct, this is where things really pick up. Starring Casey Affleck, his brother instead of himself. I guess he needed to learn all the ins and outs of directing before starting to act and direct. This is a PHENOMENAL movie. Seriously. He really proves himself as a director right from the get go.

2010 - 'The Town' - Clearly I missed out on my Affleck '09. But these were nothing major as, my man, was too busy directing this critically acclaimed directorial effort during this time. (Exhibit Q &R)

Exhibit R:

"If there is truly a renaissance man in today's cinema, it's Ben Affleck. He has distinguished himself as a premier writer and director, as well as an actor with a broad-ranging and impressive filmography. In his latest work, The Town, Affleck once again puts his acting, writing and directorial skills to work, in a stinging portrait of a New England town and the grip it has on generation after generation, who find it impossible to leave. For his ability to "do it all" and constantly evolve as an artist, The Palm Springs International Film Festival is proud to present Ben Affleck with the 2011 Chairman's Award.'" http://www.psfilmfest.org/news/detail.aspx?NID=285&year=2010

And this is fucking awesome. Most realistic car chase scene in any movie.

Exhibit S:

2011 - 'Company Men' - N/A

2012 - 'To the Wonder' - N/A - He's doing a few indies with these last two. He's gotta brush up on what it's like to actually act for a director who isn't himself.

2012 - 'Argo' - Argo just happened. It won the Oscar for Best Picture. Affleck directed this, beautifully. Showcasing his directing talents yet again, as well as his acting. He also won the Golden Globe for best Director, and should have won the Oscar too, though he wasn't even nominated due to the political inner workings of the Academy.

I just want to talk about how skilled of a Director he is and why this will help you understand that this guy has changed, and that he is now a genius. Watch the special features on the 'Argo' Blu Ray. You'll see what I mean. His attention to detail is incredible. This guy is so precise about every single fucking detail that goes into his movies. Do you really think a freak like that is going to be bad? He knows the game. He knows it! He knows what's involved and he's going to use that attention to detail to make his vision of Batman the best possible version he can imagine that is not constrained by reality. He's not gonna' want to ruin his fucking career again people. Stopppp!!!
Just think like these people! Think like Ben Affleck! If you were Ben
Affleck, and you just got offered the role of Batman in a Cinematic Universe-building film, that is likely to continue well into multiple future films; Do you realllllllllly think he's
not going to bust his fucking ass on this shit to shut you fuckers up?

Exhibit T: - Watch this, but, I strongly encourage you to watch the special features on the 'Argo' Blu Ray. There is a feature in which they focus on his attention to detail. I could not find it online though.

2013 - 'Runner, Runner' Ben Affleck AND Justin Timberlake - BOTH of my celebrity man crushes in one movie. Tell me this isn't going to be awesome. Looks like Ben can play the Billionaire Playboy. (Exhibit S) Speaking of being my man crush (Exhibit T)

Exhibit U:

Exhibit V:

2014 - 'Gone Girl' - This could be a pretty great movie, depending on Affleck. This is really his first big acting gig that he's not directing. Let's look at it like his 'test screen' for Batman, it's our first glimpse of his current acting abilities. I don't see why they wouldn't be just as good as his portrayals in his own movies, though.

2015 - 'Live By Night' - His next movie that he is directing and starring in. It's about Boston in prohibition era 1920's. This movie is another Dennis Lehane novel that Affleck is adapting, the first being Gone Baby Gone. I have a feeling this may be postponed now due to Batman, but you never know, he might be able to pull it off.

Which brings us to Batman.

2015 -'Batman Vs. Superman'

Let's take a look at the DC Cinematic Universe, shall we?

Trust in the direction of the film by Zack Snyder, and the production behind it. These guys know what they are doing. They are going to make this a success. No matter what. Do you really think that all of this distaste for Affleck wasn't considered when casting him? Obviously, they want this to be a successful movie, critically and financially. They are not going to purposely cast the wrong person. They know about the hate this guy gets. They are embracing it, and saying, "Fuck you, we think we picked the right guy for the job."

Look, they fucking failed miserably after 'Green Lantern'. It was so bad they had to reboot the whole DC Universe with 'Man of Steel' because of it. They fucked up the casting with Ryan Reynolds. But if the movie was done right, maybe Reynolds wouldn't have been that bad of a choice. See, this is where the importance of the movie itself heavily influences how well the actor, in this case, Ben, will do in the role. Do you really think they are going to make the same mistake twice? No way.

They have the Marvel Universe to compete with, just as they do in the comic book world. Marvel shits all over DC in movies. They've successfully established a full blown movie universe that is only expanding, growing and getting better. DC is a newborn, 'Man of Steel' just came out and 'Iron Man' was 2008; they have a lot of catching up to do.

They want this to be the most successful franchise it can be. If they fuck it up this early and commit to a Batman that sucks in a shared universe of multiple films ahead, including the 'Justice League' movie, they won't be able to do it. They know everyone will go see it anyway, granted, but they still don't want poor reviews. It's more about pride than it is about money, which they know they will get anyway.

Exhibit W:
Look at this picture. How many of you could really guess that's Ben Affleck? This is all we will see with the the cowl on, guys.

Welp, there you have it. I have just proven through his entire
filmography that Ben Affleck, overall, is awesome, if you can overlook
his rock bottom stage. Stop hating on Ben and stop hating in general.

Look at his accolades too. He is a premier Hollywood force, continually on the rise. He will end his career as one of the all time greats, when all is said and done. A period of bombs for a few years certainly doesn't warrant denying that most, if not all, of these other films and roles were great. His insane attention to detail as a director will surely carry over into his role as Batman. This dude will NOT let us down. I promise you. He's a nerd and he'll do it the justice it deserves.

I know regardless of what I just said, some of you are still going to say, "Yea, well, I still think he's gonna suck", and you know what? He may. But at least I'm being optimistic about it. You may disagree with me that he won't be a good Batman, and that is fine. I totally support you, as long as you have substantial reasoning for this. However, you still can't disagree with me that having a positive attitude towards it will likely result in you enjoying the film more. Be optimistic for 2 years instead of wallowing in your own shit.

We
can't truly guess at how he's going to do the role. We know noting
about it
yet. All we know is Batman, and Ben's work. Clearly, I have shown that
his work speaks for itself. So, I ask you to please stop with your
preconceived notions of Ben Affleck. Put them to bed. What I set before you was not how I perceive him playing Batman, because, I really just don't know what to expect. What I did give you was evidence. Evidence to believe in him. I give you his past work, his life story and why he's not the guy you perceive him to be. Believe in Ben. Believe in the Bat.

Don't agree? Please share and debate with others, and myself. Just
remember play nice in the boards. Be tasteful. And, if you do see my
point, try and be optimistic for the next 2 years please. It will make
your lives that much better.